Workshops

Sunday, December 02, 2012

My Christmas Ornament Tutorial

I thought I would share my ornaments that I gave as gifts at my Christmas Tea Party with you. They are super easy and lots of fun to make. You can make many and use them as gifts or fill a bowl with them for your holiday table!

I found these plain ole paper mache fruit in the bin at Micheals as you are in the check out line. They were a dollar a piece and I bought the apples and pears. Some came in packaging some did not.

Here it is outside of the packaging. It would also be fun to paint them and then Zentangle all over them, another ornament idea for another tutorial!

I then collect the small cocktail napkins at places like Big Lots, HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning etc. I collect both holiday napkins and non holiday napkins for this project. Some ornaments I make non holiday since they then can be given or used all year.

Now I take the napkin and open it up and separate the top layer of printed design from the bottom white layer of paper.

After it is separated I cut it into four sections and use two sections per ornament. I then take gel medium, or mod podge would also work and a paint brush. Brush on the gel medium over half of the ornament starting at the stem and moving to the bottom. Then take the first section of napkin and place it on the top and start to paint medium over the paper napkin, it might crease and crinkle but you can smooth out most wrinkles with your finger. Once it is on make sure that it is throughly covered with medium and do the other side. Make sure you get all the brown covered. Be careful at this stage since your fingers will be sticky and can pull and rip the side you have put down since you are holding it from that side. I often have to go back and fix areas, just be careful. Once the whole surface is covered with both the paper napkin and the medium let it dry thoroughly. I make dozens in one sitting as it is messy and I want to be able to clean my fingers off without having to go back and do more.

After they have dried I take them outside and spray them with a high gloss sealer and let them dry. I will often do multiple coats of sealer. Once they are dry you can tie on a bow and put them in a bowl for decoration or give as gifts. Enjoy!!!

PS. I forgot to mention that I wrote "Christmas Tea Party 2012" on the bottom with my awesome white Signo pen